Anti Surge Plug for Computer

My computer is presently connected to the mains via a Masterplug multiway socket extension. This has a built-in surge protector, with a green light showing when the protector is functioning. This morning we had a thunderstorm nearby and the computer crashed. I was able to re-start it OK, with no apparent damage, but I see that the green light on the multiway socket is no longer lit, implying the surge protector has blown.

I recall that a while ago there was a discussion here on surge protectors, but I can't find it. Some makes were regarded as virtually useless, while others were thought reasonably OK as far as they went.

Can anyone recommend a plug-type surge protector to protect against occasional transients? I don't want a UPS.

Reply to
Chris Hogg
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Not really no...

Perhaps not, but its the only thing that will give you proper surge protection. I have yet to see a "surge protected" extension lead / multi socket that was anything other than crap.

Reply to
John Rumm

It astonishes me that Trading Standards have not prosecuted sellers for the grossly misleading claims for their efficacy. Just as effective as the ludicrously expensive HI-Fi cables. As you rightly say only a UPS will be really effective and that is not proof against a close hit because of the EMP.

Reply to
Peter Crosland

Thy are all pretty useless but one manufacturer (Belkin?) guaranteed to replace equipment "protected" by their device and which was destroyed by lightning. It wasn't that their device was better than anyone else but they had realised the chances of lightning damage were small and the cost of the odd computer was a sound commercial decision. Basically it was an insurance policy rather than a protective device. No idea if they still offer that.

Oneac make a range of transformer isolated power conditioners which are effective, big, heavy and expensive.

Reply to
Peter Parry

Peter Parry grunted in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I bought one of these

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for travelling overseas; I bought it specifically before going to India, where scheduled daily powercuts are the norm for load-balancing purposes, as are massive spikes in the power supply; apparently you're playing with fire not to use some form of 'protection'. That device offers a similar guarantee; all I can say is that all my e-devices survived India!

Reply to
Lobster

They're basically a scam

Reply to
meow2222

Do these still rely on the old VDR technology, which tends to be one shot and its busted, I'd have thought by now one that would be resetable would be made. Obviously nothing can protect against a real strike to the cable but induced spikes should be easy to do surely?

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Ah, memories. At work (Plessey Microsystems) we started using Oneac (the name had to be pronounced onny-ack to differentiate it from one-ac, otherwise the relevant USAian body wouldn't permit it) just after it came on the market. Our lab ran some tests and pronounced it to be good. As you say, very expensive. Some years later we started using Furze - I can't remember why.

Reply to
PeterC

Thanks for the replies, even if they aren't what I really want to hear. BG mentioned VDR devices. I assume that's what most of these cheap suppressor plugs use. But they've been soundly dismissed here; but what's wrong with them?

A question or two: Is it possible to knock up one's own surge suppressor with a string of neons in series, say five or six, giving a strike voltage of about 500 volts? Any spike above 500 volts would cause the neons to strike and suppress the spike, but as the voltage fell the neons would extinguish before reaching normal peak mains voltage of about 320 volts. Similarly, could one use a string of appropriately rated Zener diodes, connected in anti-series (?terminology, but I hope YKWIM)? If not, why not, please.

Reply to
Chris Hogg

The better ones have a layered approach - there are still sure to be some MOVs in there somewhere though (along with spark gaps and hopefully on a PCB with air breaks and casework shutters round the critical sections).

Reply to
John Rumm

We used to have a commercially supplied system in our pharmacy which came equipped with a couple of fairly hefty UPSs. The suppliers finally took out the UPSs, because all the engineers did all days was replace faulty UPSs - the computers were fine. I'm sure they're not all like that, but whilst I'm sure you're correct in what you're saying, you need to know which UPSs are reliable too.

Reply to
Bob Henson

You can buy the surge absorbing elements 50p from Rapid. Total waste of time though

NT

Reply to
meow2222

If you really want to you can build your own surge protectors, but beware, to do a reasonably good job will give you a component cost approaching £20 and even this won't cope with brown out conditions. A UPS is the only way to have a chance.

Reply to
Capitol

VDRs are fine for what they are intended for - limiting short-term low- medium energy spikes on the supply. They are useless against lightning strikes, but then again, so is everything else including UPSs. The fuses in series with VDRs prevent them from failing explosively (in theory) in the event of high energy spikes. At that sort of level your "protected" gear is probably already history though.

Reply to
mick

Why not the same one? But, make it a point to replace it every year no matter what the green light says. Do some come with a customer replaceable VDR, I wonder.

I don't want a UPS.

Purchase off-site continuous cloud secure backup of important data, an insurance policy that will eventually pay out for equipment damages, a standby laptop that can get to your cloud stored data, A 3G dongle or data tetherable mobile phone if the landline fails. Baked beans, a tin opener, torch and a fork.

Reply to
Adrian C

Keep giving them your money for nothing of genuine value. Its funny what scams people buy into.

yes, or an encrypted hdd somewhere else

no, it nearly always costs you more in premiums than you get back from it, inevitably. Youre far better off saving what youd pay in premiums.

IME candle & gaslight are much more reliable than torches. The LDS church are the masters of survivalist food storage, and share their knowledge freely.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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